This invention relates to a urine drainage device permitting training of the bladder and comprising a catheter connectable to the bladder and communicating with a collection bag.
In the treatment of patients suffering from urine incontinence it is of great importance that the normal function of the bladder be re-established if possible, e.g. subsequent to a disease which has interfered with the normal function of the bladder. If the bladder is not allowed to expand by accumulating urine, there is a great risk of the bladder being shrunk, which means tht the normal function of the bladder can never be re-established. This in turn means that the ability of the bladder to accumulate urine is almost completely lost and that the urine has to be continuously drained to a collection bag e.g. by means of a catheter.
Especially in geriatric hospital treatment, incontinence pads are widely used and recently disposable incontinent diapers as well. This treatment of the incontinent patients imposes strain on the nursing staff involved because it is necessary repeatedly to change the incontinence pads or diapers in order to achieve humane treatment of these patients. Even if the normal function of the bladder can never be re-established due to age or other reasons, it is of great importance that the accumulating ability of the bladder be maintained to relieve the strain imposed on the nursing staff, because the discharge of urine then could be fairly well controlled.
Devices of several different types for use in connection with bladder-training of incontinent patients have been suggested. The Swedish patent specification 389,803 discloses one type of such device. This device requires, as most existing devices for bladder-training do, the use of a catheter usually connected to a urine collection bag. Devices are also known which are provided with a pressure sensing system for controlling the clamping of the catheter which is clamped until a predetermined pressure is reached in the bladder/catheter, the catheter then being relieved to allow drainage of the bladder.
None of these prior art devices meets reasonable requirements concerning a simple and reliable function; they are complicated as to construction and handling.